Shaquille O’Neal has always been protective of those he cares about, but his recent outburst on the Off the Record podcast might be his most passionate public defense yet. During a fiery segment, the NBA Hall of Famer came out swinging, verbally and almost literally, against former NFL quarterback and media personality Robert Griffin III (RGIII) for his repeated social media commentary about Angel Reese.
In particular, Shaq warned RGIII to stop posting anything that disrespects the WNBA star, especially in relation to a recent tweet that featured a racist meme, after Angel Reese was selected as the cover of NBA 2K26.
“RG3, tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese, I’m punching your f***ing face, okay? It’s enough. Like, I don’t usually do stuff like this, but just stop it, bro.”
“You got your job, you got your podcast, leave my Angel Reese alone. I’m the one calling her and telling her not to respond. F***ing stop it. That’s the last time, okay? Thank you.”
“It’s not real hate. If you look around what’s going on in this real country, that’s hate. This is sports. I’m not supposed to like you. It’s a shame that all the stuff you did in your life, you’re gonna be remembered for your podcast. You’re gonna be remembered for your podcast. That should tell you you’re not that f***ing great.”
“I don’t want to be remembered for Shaq’s podcast. I do not. Like, leave those girls alone. You already spoke on it, let it go. So what? He hates her, so f***ing what? I hate you now for messing with her. Now what? Say something about me.”
“She’s not gonna respond because I’m the one calling her and being like, ‘Baby, keep it classy,’ because she’s not soft by any means. You’re from the streets, but I’m like, ‘You’re beautiful. Don’t indulge with these fools,’ because he’s a fool. You don’t even have G14 classification to say that.”
“I would respect it more if Lisa Leslie said it. Like, that’s y’all category. Stay out of them people’s category. Okay, you’re sports, whatever you do, you talk about sports but bro, you don’t need to be going deep. Y’all can go deep. Y’all are females. Y’all understand what that’s like.”
“If he hates her, so what? Mind your business. Like, I don’t mind you doing your job, but don’t pick on that little girl, because guess what? I’m her protector. Now pick on me. You pick on me, I’m gonna punch you in your fucking face.”
The now-viral moment refers to a tweet RGIII posted that criticized the racist imagery used against Reese online, but ironically and controversially included one of the very images he condemned. Even though RGIII tried to distance himself from the hate, many saw the tweet as tone-deaf and offensive, especially given his history of singling out Reese for criticism, including alleging she “hates” fellow WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
Shaq wasn’t having any of it.
O’Neal’s words weren’t just a defense of Reese; they were a rebuke of how media figures, especially men, target and critique young female athletes in ways that often feel intrusive and unnecessary.
Shaq and Reese share a deep bond as LSU alumni, and he’s been in her corner since her college days. He helped recruit her to Reebok, where she signed one of her first major endorsement deals. Last month, he called her “a beautiful young lady” and praised her strength, confidence, and charisma in handling criticism and spotlight pressure.
The backlash against RGIII has grown in recent weeks, especially after he doubled down on his claim that people in Reese’s circle told him she “hates” Clark. Reese and her mother both refuted the claim outright, calling RGIII a liar and clout-chaser.
For Shaquille O’Neal, the line has been crossed. And with his platform, his loyalty, and his temper, he’s made one thing clear: if you come for Angel Reese, you’ll have to deal with Shaq.
